Joe Coomer: A Life in Letters

March 21-May 24, 2013

Acclaimed author Joe Coomer ’81 recently donated his literary archive — more than 20 boxes of materials - to the DeGolyer Library. The current exhibit draws on this wealth of material, from Coomer’s earliest undergraduate essays and exams to manuscripts of his most recent novels. Known for his graceful prose and memorable characters, Coomer has published 11 works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. “A Life in Letters” explores Coomer’s creative process through handwritten manuscripts, typed drafts, galley proofs, first editions, and translations. In conjunction with the exhibit, DeGolyer Library is republishing Coomer’s first novel, The Decatur Road, in a limited “thirtieth anniversary edition,” available April 18.

John Maley, An Account of Four Years Travels
April 23-May 24, 2013

John Maley, An Account of Four Years Travels, a previously unknown manuscript account of the Mississippi Valley, 1808-1812, will be on display April 23-May 24, in the Texana Room, DeGolyer Library. A free souvenir keepsake, describing the manuscript and its significance, is available as part of the exhibit. The Maley manuscript was acquired by the SMU Centennial Host Committee as the 4 millionth volume in SMU Libraries and as a gift in honor of George W. Bush and Laura Welch Bush (SMU ’68) and the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Center.